1. Field of the Invention
In shuttleless looms which utilize weft yarn that is furnished from an outside source and is not carried to and fro through the shed by the shuttle or carrier itself, it is common practice to insert each pick of weft by two reciprocating elements. That element which introduces the weft into the warp shed is known as the inserting carrier and that which receives or has transferred to it the introduced weft to be drawn through the remainder of the shed is known as the weft receiving or extending carrier. The invention is more specifically devoted to an improved means for presenting the weft to the inserting carrier and controlling its release from the presenting means as inserted, especially in looms of the type in which weft is presented to the inserting means to be laid in connected pairs of individual picks frequently termed "hairpins." For this type of shuttleless loom the general mode of operation of the weft control apparatus is generally understood by those skilled in the art and specific means therefor is disclosed by the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,123.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In shuttleless looms to which the present invention is applicable the weft yarn is drawn from a stationary source of supply and through an eyelet provided in and adjacent the free end of a so-called weft positioner arm. With the weft yarn being inserted into sheds in the form of interconnected pairs of picks and each length of pick being in a separate shed, the positioner arm is caused to swing to and fro in a known manner between so-called first and second pick positions. In each of the first and second pick position a portion of the weft is located at a common point which is within the pathway of a weft depressor. During loom operation the weft depressor is continually moving in a vertical plane and forms somewhat of an elliptical path. As the depressor moves downwardly from its uppermost position it is adapted to engage the weft and move it to a lower position where it is received by the inserting carrier which then inserts it into the warp shed.
The known form of weft depressor is provided with an integrally formed weft engaging hook from which the weft yarn must be shed or pulled as the inserting carrier carries the weft yarn into the warp shed. As the carrier moves toward the shed and before the weft has had an opportunity to slide off or be shed from the tip or hook portion of the depressor the pulling of the weft by the carrier will cause said weft to wrap around the forward surface of said hook portion. This has created a very serious and unsatisfactory condition when weaving with certain types of weft yarns. Soft and low twist yarns, for example, will frequently break while in the process of being shed or pulled off the tip of the depressor as the inserting carrier is moving toward the warp shed.
The loom weft positioner comprising the invention has overcome the problem described above by providing a weft depressor having a tip or weft engaging hook portion that is yieldable in the direction in which the weft yarn is normally pulled therefrom.